Ten steps to set up your own website

1. All websites need a website address. This is also known as a ‘domain name‘, or ‘url’. These can be purchased through numerous companies on the internet, but we can purchase these on your behalf to make the whole process easier for you.

2. What next? Once you have a domain name you will need some ‘web hosting’. This is in effect rented space on a server. Payment for this is usually paid on an annual basis and allows you to display web pages on the internet. Again this is something we can arrange for all our clients.

3. The points above give you an idea of a couple of the terms involved with web design, but there isn’t much point in arranging to purchase either, unless you have an idea of the cost involved in creating your website and if it falls within your budget. So your first port of call is to obtain a quote(s) for the design of your website.

Quotes will vary from company to company and from project to project, obviously the more complex the project, the higher the price you will be quoted. (click to here to request a free quote from us)

4. Ok, so you have your quote what’s next? Well if you are happy with the quote you can give the design company the go ahead to design your website for you. They will probably then issue you with an invoice for a deposit, which in most cases is used to purchase your domain name and web hosting, mentioned above.

You will then need to have an idea of the pages you will want on your website. Typically these will include pages such as an ‘about us’ page, a ‘services’ page, a ‘contact us’ page and so on….

Getting your content ready for your site is your next step. We recommend typing your content up using a program like Microsoft Word or Works.

5. While you are putting your content together your web designer will be putting together a layout for your site. After your initial enquiry we will ask you for any ideas you have regarding the colour scheme or ‘look and feel’ of your website. Some clients have logos, or have seen something on another website that they perhaps want incorporated into one of their own.

6. Your designer will present you with an initial layout(s) they have put together. We initially design a layout for a site using Photoshop, making it easy to alter and update.

7. The client then advises the designer of their initial thoughts, whether they like the design, any changes required etc. and the process moves forward from there. Once the design has been finalised it can then be turned into a web page. Once this is done they will ask you to check it and then work can commence on creating all your web pages.

8. Your content, is then used for each of the pages you require and designed using the design that has been put together for your website.

9. Once all your web pages have been designed, you effectively have your website. These can be uploaded to your ‘web space’ (eg. web hosting) and checked.

10. You have set up your own website. Your website is ready to test and to go live, ready to bring in that extra business for you!

Find Out More

You may like to find out more about search engine optimisation, view our custom website design services, or ask us for a quick no obligation website design quote.